Apology Accepted
So now after two weeks of sanctimonious ranting from Sarah Palin, David Letterman issues a second apology for an admittedly tasteless joke told at her daughters’ expense. In his apology he offers that the intent of the joke, which was supposedly about baby-mama
Bristol and not the 14 year old Willow, was irrelevant. What was relevant was the perception that he was speaking about Willow when he made the joke about A-Rod knocking her up while attending a Yankees game.
Ok. Fine. Cool. Perception, not intent. I’m good with that. So let’s look at perception, and how people perceive words regardless of what their intent. On an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, President Obama made an offhand comment about his bowling game, comparing his bowling score to that of the Special Olympics. Fortunately, his people got out in front of this issue before the episode aired and apologized to the organization. Of course this wasn’t enough to keep sanctimonious right-wingers from picking over it for two weeks. So we have perceptions of insults from a sitting president and a late night comic, followed by subsequent mea culpas. If we are really talking about perception being the rule as to whether or not one should be insulted, offended, or outraged, then I submit that there are a lot of apologies owed to a lot of people. Let’s just look at a few.
Sarah Palin
Speaking of perception, she is hardly an innocent victim. Her rallies during the McCain campaign included some of the most vitriolic and hateful language ever hurled against a presidential candidate. Her comment, “this is a man who doesn’t see America as you and I see America” was called out by the Associated Press as a backdoor way of slipping racism into the campaign (a neat way of saying, “Hey, White People. Barack Obama’s BLACK”). And the resulting jeers of “kill him”, not to mention the assault of an African-American soundman working a rally in Clearwater, FL, are absolutely her responsibility. Even if she did not intend her statements to be blatantly racist, the perception among her supporters and detractors is clear. She owes an apology not only to the McCain campaign and the Obama family, but to every African-American in the country for fueling racial animosity at her rallies.
Rush Limbaugh
OMFG! Where do I begin? I could do an entire blog on just him alone. Rather than go through the laundry list of offenses, let me offer a link to his greatest hits (http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/top-10-racist-limbaugh-quotes/). This is just the stuff he’s said before Obama was elected. Since then his spewings have become more and more vile and bigoted. And every time the explanation has been something akin to “I’m not racist, some of my best friends are Black.” Whether you’re trying to explain away “Barack the Magic Negro” or the “I want him to fail” statement as something innocent in its intent (yeah, right), the perception is clear. Rush Limbaugh is a RACIST. He, and the corporate shills who give him his platform to spew his bigoted bile (Clear Channel) owe this country an apology not only for his remarks, but for every racist act that has been influenced by his words. Most recently, the shooting of a Black security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial and Museum by White Supremacist James Von Brunn.
Operation Rescue
This radical anti-abortion group has a reputation for harassing abortion doctors and patients at clinics where the procedure is performed. Their belief that abortion is murder and those who have and perform them should be punished was THE influence behind the murder of Dr. George Tiller by Scott Roder. Mr. Roder has also implied that there are more acts of murder yet to come by people who believe as he does. While they’ve tried to step away from this heinous act, they’ve simultaneously cheered its result, the closing of one of only three clinics that perform rare late term abortions. Again, if we are to hold up perception as the litmus test here, then this group not only owes women an apology, they should be charged as an accessory to murder.
Sean “punk-azz” Hannity
In April, Hannity offered to have himself waterboarded to prove that it wasn’t torture. He said that he’d do it to raise money for the families of soldiers, and invited waterboarding opponent Charles Grodin to do the honors. Keith Olbermann of MSNBC’s Countdown offered $1000 to the families for every second Hannity lasted. To date, two months later, no waterboarding of Hannity has taken place. Chicago radio host Erich “Mancow” Muller had himself waterboarded in an effort to prove the same thing. The result, Mancow now admits that waterboarding is torture. Mancow has since received tons of hate mail, along with accusations from right wing blogs that the incident was fake. Nonetheless, Olberman donated the $1000 to the charity Valor for Veterans based on Mancow’s waterboarding time (6 seconds). As for Hannity, he owes those soldiers’ families an apology for being a punk-azz beeyotch.
FOX News
Between Hannity, Bill O’Riley, Glenn Beck, and the rest of the models there, this organization should be ashamed to have the word “news” in its title. Despite its slogan, “Fair and Balanced”, it’s perception is anything but. This is nothing more than a right-wing propaganda organization run solely to provide talking points to the radical fringes that listen to them. While leftist MSNBC at least makes an attempt at objectivity, FOX has long since given up any pretense and had gone full right-wing. This organization owes an apology to all other legitimate news organizations. FOX News is anything but “fair”, and caters to the totally unbalanced.
I could go on and on, but I think my point is made. If we want to talk intent vs. perception, if we want to talk about what people think and believe vs. reality, then let’s hold everyone accountable to what they say, not just the people with whom you disagree. As for me and this blog, judging by the comments here, many of you readers perceive me to be biased, leftist, and perhaps more than a bit mean spirited. Some of you may feel that I shoud apologize for it. Well, for those of you who happen to feel this way, those who feel that I’ve been too harsh on neo-conservatism…SUCK IT, RIGHTIES. IT’S MY BLOG AND I’LL WRITE WHAT I WANT, SO THERE!
The David Letterman Apology Show
http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/06/16/david_letterman/
Unleashed, Palin Makes a Pitbull Look Tame
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602935.html
Man charged with murder in Holocaust Museum Shooting
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=224814&format=html
Waterboarding Sean Hannity
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/95799/Waterboarding_Sean_Hannity
